Fresh clashes in Nigeria's Jos kill 11

[News_Editor]

Fresh clashes in Nigeria's Jos kill 11

2011-09-06 22:10:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

JOS, NIGERIA (BNO NEWS) -- At least eleven people have been killed in fresh clashes in the central region of Nigeria, where dozens have already been killed during the last week, local media reported on Tuesday.

The latest incidents occurred at around 2 a.m. local time on Monday morning as suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked the Zakalio village in Tar District of Jos North Local Government Area, located in Nigeria's Plateau State, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

According to reports, the attackers arrived in two vehicles and opened fire into the air to scare away local residents. In total, seven people were killed during the raid, which lasted around two hours. Among those killed were three women and four men. Five houses were burnt during the attack.

The attack was carried out despite Nigeria's military Special Task Force (STF) being deployed in the area. Jos North Local Government chairman Timothy Buba condemned the attack and questioned military authorities, as the residents of Zakalio had issued a distress call during the attack.

"When the people of the village called them when the attack was going on, the STF responded that they had no fuel in their vehicles," Buba told the media outlet. "And after the attack, we saw the footprints of boots and live ammunition left behind by the attackers. All of these call for an investigation," he added.

In a separate incident, two elderly people and their two grandchildren, aged 8 and 11, were killed during another attack, which was carried out in Dabwak, near Kuru Science School and Farin-Lamba, located in Barkin-Ladi, Plateau State. The incident also occurred on Monday morning.

In response, hundreds of angry residents gathered and protested, storming local military duty posts and claiming the STF was behind the attack. During the protests, four articulated lorries, two buses and two cars were burnt.

Last Friday, at least 22 people were killed during the second day of violent clashes between Christian and Muslim youths in the restive city of Jos. The incident occurred only four days after previous clashes killed at least thirteen people as Eid-al-Fitr celebrations were carried out.

Nigeria has already been struggling with violent extremist Islamic groups in its northeastern region. A suicide bomber recently struck a three-story United Nations building in Abuja, killing 23 people and injuring more than 80 others.

The Islamic group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has been blamed by Nigerian officials for most of the region's terrorist attacks and seeks the imposition of an extremist stance of the Shariah law, which is a Muslim code of conduct.

The group's name, 'Boko Haram,' in the local language of Hausa, roughly translates as 'Western religion is sacrilegious' or 'non-Islamic religion is a sin.'

In January 2010, around 1,000 people were killed during clashes between Muslim and Christian ethic groups in the city of Jos. During the last week alone, authorities estimate that at least 79 people have died due to violent clashes.

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